Montana Switchblade Ban Might Get Repealed

Did you know that switchblade knives were banned in the state of Montana? I did not! But apparently that's been the case for over 60 years, as the ban was enacted in 1957.

But now, it looks like that band might finally get overturned with House Bill 155, sponsored by Rep. Casey Knudsen. Knudsen notes that switchblades are actually one of the safest knives on the market and that they're ideal for EMTs, firefighters, and people with disabilities because you can open and close them with one hand.

The reason for the ban in the first place? Knudsen credits hysteria over a little craze in the late '50s known as West Side Story. Of course, there's a new version of West Side Story in the works right now directed by Steven Spielberg, so who knows, maybe we'll get right back to banning switchblades again. When it's a ban, it's a ban all the way.